Wrestling future bright for Frescoln, Pekin

PACKWOOD - Pekin High School had just one wrestler - Bailey Frescoln at 132 pounds in Class 1A - advance to the state tournament last week, but that was a seed planted for the future of the program.

'Having Bailey at the state tournament as a sophomore was huge,” Pekin wrestling coach Al Chapman said. 'The silver lining for our program next season is that we will have three state qualifiers in our room (Mason Juhl, Cael Baker and Bailey) along with a two-time District qualifier in Michael Jones.”

Having that kind of experience on the team can only raise the level of competition in the room. '

These four will assist in raising the intensity and leadership on and off the mat for the rest of the team,” Chapman said.

Iron sharpens iron.

'We will take more positives out of this past weekend and build on those with our heads held high,” Chapman said.

Frescoln lost both of his matches at state, losing by fall in 2 minutes, 54 seconds in his first match to the eventual seventh-place winner before being decisioned 11-6 by the eventual sixth-place winner to end his tournament.

'He walked out obviously disappointed but even more determined to work in the offseason,” Chapman said.

Frescoln overcame a broken bone just to make it to state this season.

'The second weekend of the season, Bailey broke a finger and was out of the lineup for a month,” Chapman said. 'Prior to his injury, the entire coaching staff was thrilled on how well he looked.”

The coaches then had help Frescoln make up for the lost time on the mat.

'After he came back, he had a huge challenge to get back to that wrestling form he had and continue to gain in a shortened season for him,” Chapman said.

His ‘shortened season' lasted longer than any other Panther but the future holds the chance for more Panthers to finish at the state tournament next year.